Senior Citizens
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General Senior Citizens Articles
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Under Maryland law any health practitioner, police officer, or human service worker who has reason to believe that a vulnerable adult is in danger is required to report that fact to the local department of social services. Any concerned person may make such a report.
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Guardianship is a court proceeding. When an adult is unable to make personal decisions, such as medical decisions, or to handle his or her own property, a court can appoint a guardian.
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What counts as countable household income for the Primary Adult Care program
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If a parent is destitute, do the children legally have to support him or her under Maryland law?
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Information for people caring for a frail elderly relative.
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Sometimes as people age, their physical abilities fail and may make it difficult, or even impossible, to stay in their homes without some changes or modifications to the home.
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This program helps Maryland Residents enrolled in Medical Assistance, HealthChoice, Primary Adult Care (PAC), Family Planning, or Medicare Part D pay for medically necessary prescriptions.
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Medical Assistance (also called Medicaid) is a program that pays the medical bills of people who have low income and cannot afford medical care.
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Medicare is health insurance for people age 65 or older, under 65 with certain disabilities, and any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). ESRD is permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant. The different parts of Medicare help cover specific services if you meet certain conditions.
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Medicare Part C, also known as "Medicare Advantage" is an alternative to coverage under Medicare Parts A and B.
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The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program is a state program to help people with lower income pay for out-of-pocket Medicare expenses, such as deductibles, co-payments and premiums.
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What are reverse mortgages and what are the common pitfalls.
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The Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program (SPDAP) is a subsidy program established by the Maryland General Assembly in 2005 to provide financial assistance to moderate-income Maryland residents who are eligible for Medicare and are enrolled in a prescription drug plan.
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Questions and Answers from Maryland Legal Aid's Maryland Senior Legal Hotline
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Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) description and the "Qualified Individual " (QI) limited expansion of SLMB. These are state programs, similar to medical assistance, for people who need help paying for Medicare services.
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The tax relief provided by this law is based on a calculation that includes your total income and the actual amount paid as occupancy rent.
Discrimination Issues
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There are a number of federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination because of age, race, color, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and pregnancy.
Nursing Homes/Assisted Living
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Assisted living is a residential program that provides housing, supervision, personal care services, health related services, or a combination of these to residents who are unable to perform activities of daily living or who need help performing them.
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In Maryland, Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) offer older adults a variety of services and care facilities, ranging from independent living arrangements to nursing home care. This article discusses the issues making a decision.
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An ombudsman is a third party that acts to investigate and resolve complaints involving residents of long-term care facilities. The Ombudsman is an advocate whose goal is to promote the highest possible quality of life for residents.
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This article answers frequently asked questions about medical assistance and nursing home care.
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Under the Medicaid Waiver, the federal government "waives" the requirement that services be provided in a nursing facility and pays for home and community based services for those who otherwise go to a nursing home.
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This FAQ covers the the rights of nursing home residents when the facility moves to discharge or transfer the resident.
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This article describes the rights that nursing home residents have under state and federal law and regulations.
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Issues to consider before you sign.
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Your treatment, care and services must be adequate, appropriate, and promote your social, emotional, physical and spiritual health. For example, you have a right to a service plan based on an assessment of your needs; you also have a right to three meals and additional snacks each day.
Pensions
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Federal legislation gives spouses and divorced spouses some rights in a worker’s pension plan and social security benefits.
Social Security Benefits
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You can apply online, over the phone or in person for Social Security Retirement Benefits
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Social Security Benefits for children of a recipient
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Many older taxpayers have Medicare premiums deducted from their Social Security checks each month and forget to take the deduction at the end of the year.
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Social Security Benefits for divorced spouses
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This article helps you get an estimate for how much social security will pay
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HALLEX is the abbreviation for Hearings, Appeals, Litigation, and Law (LEX) Manual. It contains instructions for administrative law judges (ALJs), the Appeals Council, and the Office of Civil Actions.
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How to calculate the percentage of benefits you will receive if you retire.
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A representative payee is a person who has been chosen by the Social Security Administration to receive a Social Security or Supplemental Security Income check on behalf of another person.
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This table lists how to apply for Social Security
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This article discusses issues involving Social Security benefits, SSI and the prison population.
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Social Security Benefits for spouses
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The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program pays benefits to disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources.
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Social Security benefits for widows and widowers
Wills/Estates/Probate
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This page gives an overview of estate administration and links to a number of resources for people who need to open an estate.
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A Will is a written legal document prepared for one person, called the testator, which sets forth what is to happen after death to his or her property, called the estate, and who is to be named as guardian to care for any minor children.
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This article contains information on different kinds of personal banks accounts, who can access them, and what happens when the owner dies.
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A power of attorney is a document in which you give someone legal authority to act for you.
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This article defines and describes the basic law of trusts.
Is this legal advice?
This site offers legal information, not legal advice. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information and to clearly explain your options. However we do not provide legal advice - the application of the law to your individual circumstances. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney. The Maryland State Law Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland Judiciary, sponsors this site. In the absence of file-specific attribution or copyright, the Maryland State Law Library may hold the copyright to parts of this website. You are free to copy the information for your own use or for other non-commercial purposes with the following language “Source: Maryland's People’s Law Library – www.peoples-law.org. © Maryland State Law Library, 2013.”
